Best of all, it's an old store brand number. I'm all about the Brooks Brothers and J. Press, but I really love to find something from one of the innumerable old small-time men's shops that used to dot this country of ours. Anybody know anything about the Limited Edition line from a place called Learbury?

That Learbury label has a decidedly 1960's look to it, but the label from the Amalgamated Clothing Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) puts this one likely in the late 80's/ early 90's. Is it really true that as recently as twenty years ago we were producing high quality domestically produced tailored clothing for independent shops geared toward the everyday, non-millionaire office worker? Cripes, what happened?

This suit is great. It's got all the elements of an East coast "Trad" fit that I love (undarted front, flat front pants and 2 button cuffs), without looking like a 1962 costume (2 button front, not 3/2, no hooked vent, no lapped seams). The best of both worlds. I can wear this, confident in my own sense of style, without looking like an anachronistic fop. This suit is really gonna be something with a white Brooks Brothers button down oxford, a simple burgundy tie with white pin-dots, black tassel loafers, and a tan cashmere overcoat.

If only I had a corner office on the 50th floor, a bottle of good Scotch in the bottom drawer of my desk, a sexy but demure secretary, a box of illicit Cuban cigars hidden in the garage, and some wealthy international clients that wanted me to "show 'em a good time while we're in town", I'd be all set.

20 comments:

"Learbury" was not a "small town old men's shop", but the brand name of suits made by the Joseph J. Pietrafesa Co. in Syracuse.

From the book "Immigrant Women's Lives" (1999):

The Learbury company has been making some of the finest suits in the U.S. since 1922. The business was started by the Pietrafesa brothers who were Italian immigrants who bought the name, fabric, and machines from a St. Louis suit company that had failed. Professionally they are known as the Joseph. J. Pietrafesa company, but locally everyone refers to them as Learbury." (p. 39).

The book goes on to say that they made suits for Brooks Brothers, Britches of Georgetown, Ralph Lauren/Polo, Nordstrom, and Lands' End.

I plan to trot this one out on Christmas Eve, with a festive plaid tie, a bright red boiled wool vest with brass buttons, and of course, brown suede shoes. Ought to send Bayonette straight up the wall.

Percy,

I've seen that happen to a lot of suits. I think it's because so many men take off their jacket upon arrival at the office. The pants wind up getting much more worn than the jacket.

Cyclo2000, at 5'11", I don't usually have a problem finding slacks and jackets that fit, but with feet at 11 1/2, I have serious trouble finding shoes. Once I found a whole cache of great dress shoes at a thrift shop (probably came from the same person) and was disapointed to learn they were 10s.

Nonetheless, I keep searching for the jackpot and content myself with smaller finds here and there.

"If only I had a corner office on the 50th floor, a bottle of good Scotch in the bottom drawer of my desk, a sexy but demure secretary, a box of illicit Cuban cigars hidden in the garage, and some wealthy international clients that wanted me to "show 'em a good time while we're in town", I'd be all set." (LOL) The life we all dream of.

I used to go with my father to purchase suits at Learbury. He would be measured, given a sample or 2 to try on and the tailor would make some marks on it. I would play with all the wool, linen and cotton blend samples that were hanging on the wall. He would go back for another fitting and the third go round we would leave with the suits. I remember in Spring he fitted for some seersucker and linen suits for summer. He worked in sales, leases, finance etc. I think my brother donated all his suits after he died though. Too bad, my father kept his clothes and suits forever. I do have his overcoat though... Learbury has been out of business now for some time.